


Brother Knows Best

by be11atrixthestrange



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, Romance, Shell Cottage (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:14:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26841223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/be11atrixthestrange/pseuds/be11atrixthestrange
Summary: After pressure from Bill, Ron finally tells Hermione how he feels... sort of. Shell Cottage.
Relationships: Fleur Delacour/Bill Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 6
Kudos: 54





	Brother Knows Best

**Shell Cottage, December 1997**

Ron shifts uncomfortably in an armchair that is much too small for him, while Bill and Fleur sit across the room, eyeing him with concern. They have already established that he is who he said he is, but still, Ron can't help but think that they don't really know who he is. Not anymore.

Either way, they still don't know why he is here. He can tell by their expectant expressions, their eyes wide and blinking expectantly like ellipses, as they wait for him to talk. There's a tense silence he knows he's supposed to fill, but he doesn't know what to say to them. Rubbing his bloodshot eyes, he recalls the last time he talked to Bill— a fleeting conversation at his wedding last summer.

_**xxx** _

_He had been at the bar when Bill slid in next to him._

_"You two have grown up quite a bit."_

_Ron felt his face flush, and his lips form an involuntary smile. "Well. She has."_

_Bill grinned at his reply. "How long have you two been together? You didn't mention anything at the beginning of the summer."_

_Ron thanked the bartender and took a swig of his drink before answering. "We're not."_

_"That's not what it looks like," Bill said, smirking._

_"Ok let me rephrase that. We're not. Not yet."_

_Bill smiled. "Good man. Don't wait too long. You might regret it."_

_Ron nodded as he grabbed Hermione's drink and turned back toward their table. "Congratulations again Bill," he added over his shoulder._

_Bill was wrong, Ron thought. Sure, he might regret waiting too long, but the consequences of distracting himself— distracting Hermione, could be severe. Hermione was it for him, and he was willing to wait for the long secure future, not the short term one._

_He'd grown up more than Bill thought._

_**xxx** _

Bill is the one who fills the silence.

"Where are Harry and Hermione?"

His query pulls Ron out of his reverie. With a sigh, he rubs his eyes again. He's exhausted, drained, and he really doesn't want to talk about it, but Bill deserves better. "I don't know."

A flash of worry crosses Bill's face, then morphs into something else. Relief, maybe. "So they're alive."

Ron nods.

"You look 'ungry. I veel start deener." Fleur stands and brushes past Ron, squeezing his shoulder on her way out. The gesture would normally invite a rush of anxiety and confusion, but right now all it does is comfort him.

Left alone, Ron reluctantly tells Bill his story.

_**xxx** _

After dinner, Bill finds Ron alone on the porch. He sits next to him and hands over a butterbeer, which Ron silently accepts. Then Bill offers up a grin so small, it would go undetected if Ron didn't know the Weasley features so well. The gesture is enough to prevent his own shame from permeating his body, at least for now.

Ron doesn't know Bill as well as he does Fred, George, or Ginny. Growing up, he was always in a different stage of life and Ron could never relate to him. As of recently that is changing. He can now recognize the look on his face when he talks about Fleur, he can relate to the anxiety he must feel when thinking about the danger his family is in. Ron really has grown up quite a bit.

Eventually Bill breaks the silence. "I can't imagine how worried you must be for her."

Ron lets his words sink in. He is incredibly worried for her. Harry too, but they aren't talking about Harry, and Ron knows why.

"I don't know what I would do without her."

Bill laughs. "Well I do. For one, you'd mope around my house like a zombie." His face turns serious as he adds "That's how you know it's real."

_**xxx** _

Days later, Bill and Ron sit at the dinner table, deep in concentration, eyebrows furrowed, sheets of parchment spread out around them. Lists of possible hiding locations, protective charms, and tracking spells cover the parchment as the brothers brainstorm how Ron will find his friends again. Ron is in the middle of explaining the variety of protective enchantments that Hermione would do each time they would move locations.

"I have to say Ron, now I don't know what you would do without her."

"I'd be dead, that's for sure," says Ron matter of factly.

Bill pauses and looks up at Ron. "Does she know how you feel?"

Ron shrugs. "I reckon she did. I'm sure my leaving instilled some doubt though, why?"

"So you never actually told her?"

Ron shakes his head.

"What did I tell you at my wedding?" Bill is smiling now.

"You told me not to wait too long." Ron finds Bill's gaze. "I probably waited too long."

"You probably did," says Bill. "Let's focus on this so you can fix that."

_**xxx** _

It's in the middle of the night when Ron first hears her voice. It doesn't make sense. At first he thinks he's hallucinating. But something- a gut feeling- encourages him to try clicking his deluminator.

All of the brainstorming, planning, and research Bill has helped him with over the last few weeks doesn't matter anymore. Can it really be this simple?

Ron doesn't want to run it by Bill. He won't believe him. He would try to stop him. "This is probably a trap Ron, I've never heard of anything like this."

But Ron doesn't want to be stopped, so he gathers his things and prepares to apparate to wherever this ball of light with Hermione's voice wants to bring him. Before he leaves, he locates a piece of parchment from the dining room table, and scribbles out a note to Bill.

* * *

**Shell Cottage, April 1998**

Ron frantically knocks on his brother's door. Hermione is unconscious and draped over his shoulder, and Ron can't hold her up much longer. She is so light— so tiny from months of near starvation, but Ron has been completely drained of any strength.

The door bursts open and Ron flinches as Bill shoves a wand in his face. "Tell me something only my brother would know."

Ron pauses as he shifts Hermione higher onto his shoulder. "I waited too long, and it might be too late. I really need to start taking your advice."

Bill's face softens. "Bring her upstairs, Fleur knows a bit of healing magic and she can help. Hurry!"

Upstairs, Ron lays Hermione on the bed, and collapses into her. He rests his head on her chest and feels her heart gently beating, her ragged breath, and he makes him start sob. He doesn't know how long he has been there when he feels Fleur's hand on his shoulder.

"Ronald, you need to leave 'er alone so I can clean 'er up." Ron shakes his head. "Ron, it'z not decent, she eez not conscious." Ron nods, but instead of leaving, he collapses onto the chair on the other side of her bed, and rests his face into his hands as he continues to cry.

**_xxx_ **

Hours pass, and Ron hardly leaves Hermione's side. Bill comes by to give him food, and Fleur stops in to change her bandages and check the progress of her healing. Ron only leaves to shower or use the bathroom, or for those rare moments when Fleur makes him leave so she can perform more invasive healing magic.

A few days later she starts stirring. Ron is in the kitchen with Bill while Fleur is tending to Hermione upstairs.

"She'll be ok. She's a brilliant witch. Strong mind." Ron takes in Bill's words but isn't convinced that Bill believes them. But he continues. "Please tell her how you feel when she wakes up. Please. You don't know what could happen tomorrow."

What Bill doesn't know is that the delay has nothing to do with logic anymore. He just nods. "I just don't want her to think I'm telling her only because she almost died."

"Oh for fucks sake," says Bill, shaking his head as he leaves the room.

Ron follows him out of the kitchen, and nearly collides with Fleur.

"Everything ok?"

Fleur pauses. "She's awake. She eez asking for you."

Ron takes the stairs two at a time without a glance behind him.

_**xxx** _

"Ron."

Hermione is sitting upright in bed with a soft smile on her face.

"Hermione." Ron sits back in the chair he has become so accustomed to over the last few days. "How are you feeling?"

Hermione pauses. "All things considered, could be worse." She reaches a hand behind her neck and winces as she rubs it. "My whole body hurts."

"So it's the wrong time to hug you?"

Smiling, Hermione pauses. "Actually no. I'd like that."

Ron shifts to the edge of his seat to get closer, but is surprised when Hermione has inched to the far side of her bed. She looks at him as she lifts the blanked, inviting him in. "Are you sure?"

Hermione nods, and Ron climbs next to her, gently resting an arm around her shoulder as she leans into him.

They remain quiet, listening to each other's breath and heartbeats before anyone speaks. This feels natural, like they've done this many times. Ron wonders if Hermione feels the same way.

"Hermione. I need to tell you something. I reckon you already know, but I still need you to hear me say it." Ron winces as he hears the words, and his stomach feels as heavy as a bludger. Is this the right time?

"Let me go first." Ron turns to look at Hermione, who is already facing him, wearing a mischievous grin.

"Sure. You go first."

Her cheeks are pink, and her voice shakes as she speaks. "I… love you too."

Time seems to stop. What did she just say? Ron feels his ears flush and his eyes widen, but before he can respond, Hermione closes the gap between the two of them, kissing him gently on the lips. Ron feels his body relax and smiles through the kiss. It's almost too quick before she pulls away.

Before she can get too far, Ron reaches his hand around the back of her head, and guides her back in. He kisses her a little more intensely and she responds with enthusiasm.

When they break apart he sees her cheeks are flushed, but she's smiling, and it's a beautiful relief to see her smile. "How did you know I was going to tell you that?"

Hermione smiles as she reaches over to her side table, and pulls out a piece of parchment. She unravels it, and Ron's jaw drops. "Fleur gave me this just now. She said she had some information I needed to know. She also told me to tell you 'you're welcome.'" Hermione rolls her eyes, but she's still smiling smugly.

Ron looks down at the parchment in her hands- it's the note that he wrote Bill right before he left Shell Cottage last time.

Bill,

I figured out how to find them. It has to do with my deluminator. Trust me on this. I don't want to explain this in a letter (both for security reasons, and because I figured you wouldn't believe me and I don't want you to worry.) But I've never felt more confident about this, so just trust me.

Thank you for taking me in. Really. I owe you the world. It was a pleasure to spend time with you and Fleur, and thank you again for your advice. Hopefully by the time you read this, I will have found Hermione and told her how much I love her. You're right, she deserves to know. And I promise I will never leave her again, your baby brother isn't that much of an idiot.

Wish me luck, love you both.

Ron

Ron's ears are still burning red as he re-reads his letter. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

Hermione snuggles up against him and whispers, "I'm just glad I know now."

I love you so much, are the only words crossing through his mind, the only words that matter right now. Ron kisses her on the top of her head and closes his eyes. She feels so natural in his arms. He could stay there all day, all night even, so that's what he does.


End file.
